Introduction by Ann James, chief executive, NHS Devon

Decisions over where you give birth and what care you receive may be the last thing on your mind when you first find out you are pregnant. But as the big day gets closer and you begin to realise you have a wide range of possibilities, it becomes more and more important.

That’s why, for the first time we are integrating maternity services to ensure women have as wide a choice as possible; whether this care is from a GP, midwife or as part of a consultant-led service, and of course, the important question of where you will give birth.

Your views are crucial in the development of this. It is a partnership between mums and midwives and what you say will help to shape the future service.

At the moment, most women choose to have theirs in the maternity unit at a main general hospital, such as the Royal Devon and Exeter.

Far fewer opt for births at home or in their local community hospital. But the sad fact is not every woman currently has a choice in our area, not for clinical reasons, but simply because the way the service is organised. It is a system which gives priority to women who choose hospitals.

We want to build a new system that gives real choice to women wherever they live, even if they are not close to a birthing centre.

There would be a big emphasis on local deliveries, increasing breastfeeding support and making more time for midwives to spend with mothers.

So while it is proposed that women return home the same day after low risk normal deliveries, and directly home after more complex services in acute settings, more change is needed to bring about the comprehensive support we would like to see for all mothers in Devon.

Read more about what’s proposed:

• Click this link to view or download the discussion document Integrating and improving community maternity services in Devon.

• Click this link to view or download the Developing future midwifery services document.

Your Feedback

During June to September we have been running an involvement process to ensure that people have an opportunity to have their say about the proposals.

This has included public meetings, conversation events for parents and parents to be and discussions at District, Town and Parish council meetings.

Click the link to view or download the presentation used at the public meetings.

The involvement process has ended on the 6th September 2010, following which a report summarising all of the feedback we have received has been prepared.

This report together with details of what we propose to do next, will be submitted for the consideration of members of the health overview and scrutiny committee on 23rd September 2010.

You can view or download the reports:

• Report for Devon Health and Adult Service Scrutiny Committee September 2010
• Outcomes of the Involvement Process
• Summary report from the public meeting held in Honiton on the 26th June 2010
• Summary report from the public meeting held in Okehampton on the 1st July 2010
• Summary report from the first public meeting held in Tiverton on the 14th July 2010
• Summary report from the second public meeting held in Tiverton on the 14th July 2010
• Summary report from the public meeting held in Exmouth on the 4th August 2010

Next Steps
In addition to reporting the outcomes of the involvement process at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 23rd September 2010, this information will also be presented to NHS Devon’s Clinical Commissioning Executive Committee for consideration on behalf of GP commissioning consortia.

The outcome of the involvement process and the discussion of both of these meetings, plus an updated proposal, will be included in a final report to be presented to the NHS Devon Board meeting on the 27th October 2010.